Fulcrum attachment for claw hammers



May 15, 1951 D. K. M. MCLEAN FULCRUM ATTACHMENT FOR CLAW HAMMERS Filed May 5, 1949 lll lll I n ventar David K. M. McLean Patented May 15, 1951 FULCRU'M ATTACHMENT FOR CLAW HAMMERS David K. M. McLean, Soda Springs, Idaho Application May 3, 1949, Serial No. 91,172

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a novel and improved nail extracting fulcrum attachment for a claw hammer and the object of the invention is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly functioning fulcrum units and to provide certain appreciable refinements which make it possible to satisfactorily and reliably adjust the position of the hammer head and to expedite the step of pulling and extracting relatively lengthy nails while, at the same time, maintaining a reliable grip on the nails being extracted.

It will be understood that I am, generally speaking, conversant with the state of the art to which the present invention relates and am, consequently, aware that many and varied styles and forms of hammer fulcruming attachments have been put forth for use by others. As a matter of fact, I have previously adopted and used an attachment, structurally similar to that herein revealed which is the subject matter of a pending application identified as Serial No. 68,837, filed January 3, 1949, now Patent No. 2,541,372, datedFebruary 13, 1951.

More particularly, the attachment constituting the subject matter of the stated pending application has to do with a so.- called adapter unit which is securely fastened on one end of the hammer handle in alignment with the socket portion of the hammer head, there being a fulcruming unit hingedly mounted on said adapter and said fulcruming unit being provided with a resilient lug which constitutes a friction-type detent, said detent being normally engaged with the hammer head to hold the fulcruming unit in a relatively fixed position. The free end portion of the fulcruming unit is laterally bent to provide a foot and said foot is adapted to bridge and come into contact with the claws on the head.

As a result of experimentation and an urgent desire to better fulfill the requirements of attachments in the category under advisement, I have uncovered, I believe, the need for improvements which will not only better fulfill the requirements of manufacturers but will more efficiently meet the needs and requirements of users.

In carrying out the principles of the newer ideas presently in mind, I have simplified the adapter unit which is directly attached to the hammer handle and have changed the construction of the fulcruming unit so that it is now more in the nature of a miniature jack, the two units being now adjustably connected one with the other to increase the range of utility while still 2 maintaining a satisfactory pivoting support for the hammer head.

Objects, in addition to those above referred to, will be evidenced to the reader upon carefully taking into account the collective views of the drawings and the accompanying detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is an end view of a conventional hammer head equipped with my improved attachment, th part or units ,of the latter being sh wn in elevation and section;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the construction sh wn in Fi ure Figure 3 is a side view of the attachment, with parts in section and elevation, including a fragmentary showing of the hammer and manner in which the attachment is used to extract a nail;

Figure 4 isa perspective view showing both units of the attachment.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals and accompanying lead lines, the adapter unit is denoted by the numeral t and the companion leverage increasing and f-ulcruming unit is denoted by the numeral 1.

The hammer shown is conventional and embodies a common head 8 embodying a central socket Q, a head it and claws 'l l. The handle is denoted by the numeral l2 and the outer end portion l3, as usual, is wedged in the socket 9.

The adapter unit 3 comprises a substantially fiat rectangular plate I4 which fits against the handle-end l3 and has nail holes IE to accommodate nails it as better shown in Figure 3. One end portion, the end I1, is extended and curved to conform to the adjacent inner ends of the claws H and terminates in a hinged knuckle [8 for a hinge pin [9, said hinge pin terminating in assembling and retaining head 2%. 2| designates a knob-like detent.

The unit I is of general L-shaped form and is characterized by a channel-shaped body portion including a flat rectangular web or base 22 having a keeper hole 23 for the detent 2i and having parallel side flanges 24 and 25, respectively. Both flanges may be the same in construction or one flange may be plain and the other constructed as shown at the right in Figure 4. Referring to the flange 25 as seen in Figure 4, it has an inbent edge portion 26 which constitutes a detent or retainer which has frictional contact with the socket portion 9 of the hammer head as shown best in Figure 2. The same flange, which is slightly spaced from said socket portion has a keyhole slot 21 which serves as a holder and The numeral starter for a nail 28 as shown in Figure 1. This nail holding and starter feature is covered in my previous co-pending application Serial No. 68,837 and is therefore not claimed here. Also, the stated detent 26 is disclosed in my previous application just referred to. The L-forming arms are parallel to each other and denoted by the numerals 29 and 30. The arms are provided with opposed longitudinal slots 3l--3I having diagonal keeper notches 32-32 to accommodate the headed end portion of the assembling, hinging and adjusting pin or pintle I9. I 7

When the device is closed and out-of-the-way as shown in Figure 2, the detent 2|, which is in effect a snap fastener, snaps into the keeper hole 23 to assist in maintaining said unit I relatively fixed. The detent means 26 also functions to attain this end. As stated, the means 26 may be r on either one or both of the flanges 24 and 25 as desired.

When the device is ready for use, that is, the unit 1, it is unlatched and is then free to swing in relation to the hammer head so that it may take the ready-to-use position shown in Fig. 3. Here, the plate 22 becomes a base and rests firmly on the work 33 and. thus we have a chairlike jack in which the hammer head is cradled. The point of fulcrum may be on the plane of the lowermost notches as shown, or, may be adjusted so as to lift and lower the hammer head and claws in relation to the work. The nail is shown at 34 and the head of the nail as at 35, and the claws are shown engaged with the nail and the nail is being extracted. If follows that in this application I provide a simple single plate [4 serving as the adapter unit 6, equip the same with a knuckle to accommodate a hinge pintle and utilize the hinge pintle as means for cradling the hammer head in the jack or fulcruming unit "I and also permitting the head to be adjusted to the elevation desired. j

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain I a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the 4 drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a structure of the class described, in combination, a hammer embodying a handle and a claw-equipped head, a cradling and attachment member mounted on the claw end of said head comprising, a channel-shaped jacking and fulcruming unit embodying a flat basing plate hav ing side flanges, said side flanges being provided at corresponding ends with right-angularly disposed parallel arms straddling said claw head, said arms having opposed registering elongated slots and said slots being provided on correspond ing edges with pairs of selectively usable pintle cradling and adjusting seats, an adapter plate fastened to said handle and conforming to and in firm contact with saidhead, said plate being of a width to operate between said flanges and said arms, and a headed pintle carried by said adapter plate, said pintle being slidable in the slotsand optionally positionable in said seats.

2. A hammer attachment of the class described comprising a flat adapter plate having a hinge knuckle at one end, a headed hinge pintle in said knuckle, a channel-shaped plate having angularly disposed slotted arms, the ends of said pintle being slidably mounted in said slots, and saidslots having selectively usable keeper seats for said pintle.

' DAVID K. M. McLEAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 301,077 Wright June 24, 1884 524,539 Burgess Aug. '14, 1894 1,026,915 Hudson May 21, 1912 1,531,014 Maclure -1 Mar. 24, 1925 2,231,206 Anderson Feb. 11, 1941 

